Tag: hiking trails

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Field Trip: Native Plant Hike at Russell Park

— by Gary Bowers

  • What:   Native Plant Hike at Russell Park
  • When:  8:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Saturday, May 11, 2024
    • Please plan on arriving 10-15 mins early. Once we have everyone signed in we’ll start hiking at 8:30 AM.
  • Where:  Good Water Loop Trailhead Parking at 2101 County Road 262, Georgetown, TX, 78633

Our field trip is free and open to the public.

This hike is a great opportunity to learn about some great native plants around Lake Georgetown while getting a bit of exercise. This hike will be an out and back with a total length of 3 miles. The expected duration is between 2 and 2.5 hours. We will start at the trailhead for the Good Water Loop and hike down to the small picnic/camping area southwest.

DistanceClimbing ElevationDifficultyTrail SurfaceNotes
3.0 mi266 ftModerateOut and back; natural path with rocks and rootsShady trail to start while navigating through cedar grove. Some inclines and declines before transitioning to a gravel path along lake.
Trail Summary

Who is this hike for?

If you enjoy a moderately paced hike with a few brief stops to learn more about native plants, this is the hike for you.

How difficult is this hike?

We will descend down to the lake and then back up. Most ascents and descents are fairly gradual but there are numerous limestone outcroppings and roots along the first half of the trail. We will be moving at a steady pace between stopping points and stops will be brief.

What should I bring on this hike?

Be prepared for exertion along a trail with unsure footing. We recommend the following for this hike:

  • Sturdy hiking boots
  • Hiking poles
  • Water
  • Insect spray
  • Sun protection
  • Snacks
Trailhead parking
Route for this hike


See photos from other field trips in our album=>

Field Trip Photo Album
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Wildflower Wanders at Balcones Canyonlands

Wildflower Wanders are hikes in Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge planned by the Friends of BCNWR. Wildflower Wanders help people learn about identifying plants and the importance of native plants.  The hikes below are coming up soon, planned as a balance of walks that are easy, combined with some that are harder. Register at the links. (Though these hikes are not NPSOT events, the particular hikes below are led by NPSOT-Wilco members Gary Bowers and Cindy Chrisler.)

See the Friends of BCNWR’s events calendar here.

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Field Trip: March 17, 2024, Tree Walk at Old Settlers Park

— by Gary Bowers

What: Tree Walk in the Park, led by Gary Bowers
Where: Old Settlers Park, 3017–3099 Whitlow Way, Round Rock
When: 10:00am-Noon on Sunday, March 17, 2024
Our field trip is free and open to the public.

Join us for the 2nd Tree Walk of 2024 at Old Settlers Park on Sunday, March 17, 2024. We will continue learning about identification of trees during dormancy but, with some luck…

🍀

… and good weather, we will hopefully start seeing some trees break dormancy and bud out.

View directions on: Apple Maps or Google Maps

We’ll meet in the parking area at the Virgil Rabb Pavilion off of Whitlow Way, in Old Settlers Park. From there we will walk around the pavilion to the nature trail. The walk is around 2 miles and will take around 2 hours to complete with relatively brisk walks between talking points.

For anyone interested, a few of the NPSOT members will continue on to Cork & Barrel after the walk to celebrate St. Patricks Day (and native plants).

map
Meeting point and parking. Rabb Pavilion, Old Settlers Park, Round Rock, TX.